Sunday, January 3, 2010

GITMO to Yemen?

Some Democrats are joining Republican lawmakers in opposing the transfer of suspected terrorists from the Guantanamo Bay prison to Yemen, citing Al Qaeda's increased activity in the poor Arab nation.

President Obama's top counter terrorism adviser, John Brennan, told Fox News that the transfers will continue if the administration deems them warranted.

"The Guantanamo facility must be closed," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "It has served as a propaganda tool for Al Qaeda. We're determined to close it. We're not going to, though, do anything that is going to put American security at risk."

The president himself has identified an Al Qaeda splinter group that was operating out of Yemen as responsible for the planning and operation of the Christmas day hijacking plot.

This practice of repatriating these guys back into their home country was a colossal failure under the Bush administration and it will be under the Obama administration as well if it isn't halted immediately.

There's about 90 Yemeni being held in GITMO now. About half are being scheduled to be sent back to their home country and the rest will be tried domestically in civilian courts.